The objective of this paper was to study nutritional
status and growth, as measured by height and weight,
over the life course and their connection with
chronic diseases in Guatemala, a country with high
levels of child undernutrition and adult
overnutrition, using data from the Institute of
Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP)
Nutrition Trial Cohort study. The study sample
comprised a birth cohort of 1570 individuals who had
data in the original 1969–1977 survey as well as the
2002–2004 follow-up, allowing for an analysis of the
nutritional transition from childhood to adulthood.
The associations between childhood and adulthood
anthropometrics were analysed, and the links of
these with chronic disease indicators were assessed
using multiple regression analysis and structural
equation modelling. Moving upwards in nutritional
status from childhood to adulthood was observed
frequently in the study population. Unlike sex and
place of residence, early anthropometrics were not
generally found to be associated with adult body
mass index (BMI). However, direct relationships were
found between childhood nutritional status and
growth and adulthood high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
cholesterol, triglycerides and fasting blood
glucose. Furthermore, these relationships were not
mediated by BMI. The findings were not sensitive to
the metric of childhood anthropometrics, as the use
of length-for-age, weight-for-age and
weight-for-length all resulted in similar
conclusions. These relationships demonstrate the
importance of early childhood conditions for
later-life outcomes. However, the lack of such
relationships for blood pressure suggests that the
biological links between childhood anthropometrics
and various chronic diseases might vary.